Helping Your Loved One Who Hoards

By Jessica Ott | August 19, 2022 | Comments Off on Helping Your Loved One Who Hoards

As the time starts passing by you, have you noticed your elderly loved one has more stuff than they need? Some seniors may need to start getting their affairs in order and develop a plan for the end of life. But sometimes, these plans go way before they go and need to start downsizing. In theory, this is something easy, but sometimes seniors have difficulty letting things go because of the memories each item brings back. Sometimes, a senior will hoard things that have no meaning, but they can’t seem to let go of certain things. This is when you need to step in to help your senior, who could be hoarding things without realizing it. Hiring senior home care providers may help improve the quality of life they’re living.

Senior Home Care Littlestown PA - Helping Your Loved One Who Hoards

Senior Home Care Littlestown PA – Helping Your Loved One Who Hoards

Sometimes hoarding is a way for seniors to take control of their surroundings, which can be nice if they’re struggling with feeling independent. If you see your senior suffering from a low-quality life, it’s time to find the solution. Senior home care will help transport your elderly loved ones to appointments and help them bathe, dress, and eat every day. They can help take care of daily life while you focus on the hoarding.

Here are some ways you and their senior home care aides can address hoarding.

Understand Why They Are Keeping Things

Understanding your loved one’s connection to his or her belongings may help you persuade him or her that it’s time to declutter. Many seniors, for instance, save essential documents out of concern that they may need them in the future. Assisting your loved one in scanning these materials into digital files might bring peace of mind while removing the danger posed by loose papers spread about the home.

Make Decluttering Feel Good Instead of Bad

Seniors play a vital part in every society, and restoring their feeling of purpose by assisting others is a worthwhile endeavor. Try asking a loved one to give some of his or her extra possessions to a worthy organization. For instance, discarded clothes may be given to a homeless shelter, and a local family with small children might benefit from a new piece of furniture. Even random items such as newspaper stacks will be appreciated by instructors in schools and daycare facilities. Be sure to begin these initiatives on a modest scale and remark on the good feeling of each gift until your loved one makes it a regular occurrence.

Focus on Why It’s Healthier to Declutter and How it Can Be Safer

If your loved one continues to resist the idea of decluttering, it may be important to express your worries about the safety of his or her house. After stating that specific objects must be removed, you may urge your loved one to keep control by determining where each item will be placed. Provide appropriate alternatives, such as a storage facility or donation center. Then, adhere to your strategy and be vigilant for indicators of clutter’s return so you can assist your loved one in maintaining a clutter-free home.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Home Care Services in Littlestown PA, please talk to us. Our friendly staff can answer all of your questions.  In-home Senior Care in Adams and York Counties, PA. Call Today: (717) 698-8258.

Jessica Ott
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